George Morris was born in 1790 in Lexington, Fayette Co KY,[1] possibly a son of Thomas Morris Jr and his first wife, Elizabeth Stephenson. He died 1 Jun 1861 in Mason Co IL.[2] George Morris was married in Brown Co OH, 3 Sep 1827, to Elizabeth Herd.[3]

Elizabeth Herd (or more likely Hurd) was born in 1807 in Adams Co OH,[4] probably a daughter of Caleb Hurd and his wife, Martha Oursler.[5] Elizabeth died before her husband, possibly about 1859 in Mason Co IL. Her youngest known child was born in Oct 1850 in Ohio.

There are very few clues to George Morris’s ancestry. His marriage is the first certain evidence we have of this man, followed by his 1830 census in Mason Co KY, p 192: George Morris, 000001/10001. He has not been located in 1840, although his children’s births, according to his 1850 census, indicate he and his family were in Ohio. It seems possible, given the 17-year difference in George’s and Elizabeth’s ages, that he was married to an earlier wife. George Morris and family were in Sprigg Township, Adams Co OH in 1850, then moved to Mason Co IL. In 1850, daughter Nancy Ann Morris was listed both with her parents in Adams Co OH and again as a single woman living with a Benner family from Pennsylvania in Mason Co IL; in 1852 she was married to John Armstrong there.[6] By the 1860 census, both George and Elizabeth had died.

Why was an unmarried daughter living two states west of her parents in 1850? Was it because other family members had already moved to Mason Co IL? In that county in 1850 were Morris R Morris, 30 KY, a laborer, and George Morris, 22 KY, a clerk. These may have been older sons from George’s possible first marriage. If so, they were not living with their father in either 1830 or 1850.

Ancestry.com has two early Kentucky marriages of men named George Morris:

Ranson, Sally15 Jan 1807Madison Co KY

Cross, Mary26 Sep 1815Bourbon Co KY

The man who was married in 1807 was probably the George Morris who was in 1810 and 1820 but not 1830 in Madison Co KY. There was no George Morris in Bourbon Co in 1820.

There are six records for man named Morris in the War of 1812 from Kentucky: Miles Morris, John Morris, William G Morris, William Morris, Cpl James Morris, Ely Morris, Morris Morris, and George Morris from Mason Co KY, p 192: George Morris, 000001…/10001… in Capt Jacob Elliston’s Company, Kentucky Mounted Infantry—Commanded by Col. Richard M Johnson.[7] A George Morris swore to the action in that war of John Wood who enlisted at Lexington, Madison Co KY.

Possible ancestry of George Morris #1

It is possible that our George Morris is the man from Madison Co KY, married in 1807, residing there in 1810 with a wife and two sons (Madison Co KY, p 236, George Morris: 20100/00100), then in 1820 Madison Co KY, 220011/10001/2), and probably serving in the War of 1812. If so, by 1827, he was starting over with a new wife and family; 1830, Mason Co KY: Mason Co KY, p 192: George Morris, 000001…/10001…

Ignatius Ransom was in Mason Co KY in 1830 on the same page as a Thomas Morris, with this family: 00000000001/0000010001. A gedcom at Ancestry.com, “Southern Ransoms,” has the following about daughter Sally: “added this girl after seeing the 15 Jan 1807 Madison Co KY marriage. As confirmation,Nancy W. also shows Sally as a daughter of Ignatius – has her born ca 1782 Prince William Co VA.”[8]

The George who married Sally Ransom does not appear to have been a son of the known man in this county,Thomas and his wife, Susannah Appleton,[9] although he might have been a nephew. Thomas was a son of Hammond and Mary (Tuttle) Morris; he and some of his brothers came to Madison Co KY at an early date.

Possible ancestry of George Morris #2

Some years ago, a lady from Norman, Oklahoma, posted a family tree at Ancestry.com; this comes as close as any I’ve found to possibly being George Morris’s parents. The family is no longer posted, although at one time she did identify our George as the oldest son in her group.

This Campbell Co KY family is as follows:

1. Thomas MORRIS Jr. Born on 20 May 1772 in Virginia, the son of Thomas Morris. Thomas died in Campbell Co KY, on 20 May 1856.[10] There was a Thomas Morris in Campbell Co KY tax lists ca 1790 and in the “Second Census of Kentucky,” 1800.[11] He was in these censuses, 1810 Campbell Co KY, Thomas Morris, 20010/30010; 1830 Boone Co KY, Thomas Morris, 20011001/0210001; 1840 Boone Co KY, Thomas Morris, 001100001/00020001. In 1850, he was still in Boone Co KY and gave his birthplace as Pennsylvania.[12] About 1789 when Thomas was 16, he first married Betsy STEPHENSON in KY. They had the following children:

2i.George (1790-)

3ii.Jeff (ca1793-)

4iii.Anna (ca1795-)

5iv.Elizabeth (ca1797-)

6v.Vina (ca1798-)

On 11 Jan 1799 when Thomas was 26, he second married Anna SMITH, daughter of Henry SMITH, in Campbell Co KY.[13] They had the following children:

7i.Elijah (ca1800-)

8ii.Thomas (1800-)

9iii.Nancy Ann (1801-1865)

10iv.Lucy (ca1802-)

11v.Minnie

12vi.Lewis (1806-)

Second Generation, children of Thomas and his first, undocumented wife:

Second Generation, children of Thomas and his second, documented wife:

7. Elijah MORRIS. Born ca 1800 in KY.

8. Thomas MORRIS. Born in 1800-1810 in KY.

9. Nancy Ann MORRIS. Born in say 1801. Nancy Ann died in Lewis Co MO, in 1865. On 22 Jan 1817, she married Dudley STEPHENSON, son of James Nathaniel STEPHENSON & Mary COLLEY, in Campbell Co KY. Born on 2 Mar 1798 in KY. Dudley died ca 1850.

10. Lucy MORRIS. Born ca 1802 in KY. On 6 Dec 1817, she married Stephen HIATT in Campbell Co KY. Born in 1798 in PA.

12. Lewis MORRIS. Born on 21 Nov 1806. Married Jane Simpson 13 Apr 1831 in Boone Co KY and died there in 1875. His parents’ names are very faint on his death record at Ancestry.com.

In the Campbell County KY marriage book I found the following marriages. It is possible these Morris names were all from one family, although several names are not known to me:

·Nancy Morris m Dudley Stephenson 1-22-1817 (Daughter of Thomas)

·Lucy Morris m Stephen Hiatt 12-6-1817

·Anna Morris m Peter Trout 6-21-1818

·Minnie Morris m Wm. Matthews 3-11-1819(Dau. of Thomas)

·Evaline Morris m Joseph Dawson 3-1-1819 [should read Morin]

·Charlott Morris m David McElroy 8-10-1820

·Benjamin Morris m Elizabeth Thomas 9-17-1823

·Elizabeth Morris m Nelson Frazier 1-10-1825

These Brown Co OH marriages may be connected, or may point to a different family:

·Henry Morris to Christina Crawford/Craford on 27 Jul 1820.

·Joseph Morris to Elizabeth Boude on 8 Aug1821.

·Joshua Morris to Sarah Sutton on 20 Jul 1826.

·George Morris to Elizabeth Herd on 3 Sept 1827.

·Joshua McConlley to Mary Morris on 22 Apr 1819.

·William Draper to Pasty Morris on 12 Jun 1826. Oath of Henry Morris.

Two additional marriages are noted at the Campbell Co KY Genweb site:

·Jun 21 1831-William GARNER to Aurelia LUMIS, bondsman -Thomas MORRIS

·Oct 6 1796-Jesse LUCAS to Polly MORRISS {application signed by John MORRISS, attested by Tom MORRIS and John GRANT} bondsman-James MORRIS

My analysis of this family has failed to discover more about Jeff, Vina, or Elijah. Other than George, it seems to me that all of the known children could have been from Thomas’s marriage to Anna Smith. Note especially that one of the daughters of the first marriage was Anna, which of course was the second wife’s name. Thomas had five children in 1810, none over 10 years old. Thomas’s relation to the families of James Morris or Henry Morris is unknown.

In summary, I have this brief analysis,

·In favor of this identification of the parents of my George Morris:

1.There was a George Morris in exactly the right time and place.

2.No other good or likely possible family for George has been found.

·Against this identification:

1.The total lack of documentary evidence.

2.No trace of the first family has been found.

3.My correspondent could not remember her sources.

If this family tree is correct, George’s mother was Elizabeth Stephenson, and we might assume that Thomas was in or near Lexington in 1790. These Morris records have been identified:

Fayette Co KY

The only Morris in the 1788 Fayette Co KY tax list was Evans Morris.[14] In 1790, there were also Isaac, Jno, Johnson and Elizabeth Morris.[15] The same source lists many Stevensons in that county: Benjamin, two men named James, a John and a John Jr, plus Samuel Sarah and two Williams, in addition to a James and a Thomas Stephenson.

Bourbon Co KY

Bourbon Co KY marriages, listed at the genweb site, include images, a transcript of the license, and an abstract of the bond for this couple: “This is to Sertify that you may grant Licens of m[r Steven?] Thomas Morris And my Daughter Jemimah Thomas Given

There were a Thomas Morris, a John Morris and a William Morris in Bourbon Co KY tax lists, possibly ca 1790.[17] The same source lists one John Stevenson and one John Stephenson in that county.

Campbell Co KY

There was also a Thomas Morris in the Campbell Co KY tax lists, possibly ca 1790.[18] This is more likely our man and not the one in Bourbon Co, although the latter could have been the father.

Madison Co KY

There was a Jesse Morris in Madison Co KY tax lists, possibly ca 1790.[19] As mentioned above, Jesse’s brother, Thomas Morris, Revolutionary War pensioner, aged 80, was in the 1840 census in that county.[20] There were two Edward Stephensons in Madison County, but the Thomas who supposedly married Batsy Stephenson was not the Thomas in Madison County.

Both David and Thomas Morris were listed on the 1790 Mason County Census Substitute, based on early tax records.[22] Both were still there in 1800 and after, plus Nathan G, Mary, and Reubin Morris. And there were three Stephensons, Mills, Richard and Thomas, plus a Nathan Stevenson in Mason County.

Boone Co KY

The first Morrises listed in censuses in Boone Co KY were Joseph and William in 1820. There were three Stephensons in Boone Co in 1820.

Note that in none of these early records was there a George, either Morris or Stephenson. We can speculate that our George was named for the Father of the Country.The locating of Thomas Morris in Campbell County as early as 1790 certainly suggests he had wife earlier than the 1799 marriage to Anna Smith; that is assuming that the man listed in 1790 was not Thomas Morris Sr. Thomas Morris Sr may have been in Bourbon Co or Mason Co, or he might have been the pensioner in Fayette Co in 1840, although this man was probably too young

Possible ancestry of George Morris #3 (maybe the same as #1)

Recently, this researcher found another Morris who apparently followed the same migration routes as George. William W Morris may be a younger brother, a nephew, or even a son of a first marriage, although that would give our George two sons named William, one by each wife. No William is named in the family groups I have for Thomas Morris Jr.

William W Morris was born ca 1809 in KY. In 1850 he was living in Adams Co OH with a wife Keziah and four children. By 1860, the families of both George and William W had moved to Mason Co IL. William had died, and his widow Keziah (“Kissiah”) was living with three children. I have not been able to trace any of their children in later years. Both George and William named sons born about 1842 or 1843 Martin, probably for Martin Van Buren, who finished his single term as President in 1841.

There was another Morris family from Ohio in Mason Co IL in 1860, that of William and Louisa Morris, previously from Champaign Co OH, about four counties away from Adams Co OH.

The Hurd or Herd family

The spelling Herd appeared in Margaret (Morris) Kent’s 1912 death certificate. The spelling Hurd was used in a county history, where Nancy (Morris) Armstrong’s parents were identified.[23]Censuses in Adams Co OH where Elizabeth (Hurd) Morris was born use both spellings, but later descendants of this family generally used the spelling Hurd.

There was a Uel Hurd family in Green Township, Adams Co OH in 1820; they were also in Jefferson Twp, adams Co OH in 1830. There was another family, that of Caleb and Martha (Oursler) Hurd in Sprigg Township of that county in 1830 and 1850, the same township where George and Elizabeth (Hurd) Morris lived.

The Uel Hurd family was from New Jersey and much is known about them.[24] Uel served in the War of 1812 in the New Jersey Militia; that is, he was not yet in Ohio by 1807. He was married in 1810 in Morris Co NJ, moved with his family to Montgomery Co IL after 1840, and died in 1847. His daughters did not include an Elizabeth.

I first found the name of Caleb Hurd in records of the Oursler family.[25] He was married to Martha Oursler. Martha, according to her 1850 census, was born ca 1790. The best clue to Caleb’s origin might be a son or daughter’s 1880 census where the father’s birthplace was listed, but the three children still living gave three or four different states. Caleb Hurd of Boone Co and Pendleton Co KY said Virginia. Charles Thomas Hurd of Pendleton Co KY said Maryland, but alone of others on that page, the word Maryland was in parentheses. John William Hurd, then living in Davis Co IA, said either “Penn” or “Tenn,” the census not being clear.

Since no one said New Jersey and Caleb’s family does not appear to have had contacts with Uel’s, I do not consider that the men were closely related.

There was a Wilm Hurd in 1800 in St Clair Twp, Allegheny Co PA: 00301/10101. This was along the Ohio River upstream from Adams County. Caleb may have been one of the sons of this man, who is otherwise unknown to me.

Since no marriage for Caleb Hurd and Martha Oursler has been found, it is possible that Caleb came to Adams Co OH after 1810 and that Martha was a second wife. With an earlier wife, Caleb was probably the father of Mintey Herd, who married James Clure in 1817 in Adams County. Elizabeth may also have been a child of that first marriage.

George and Elizabeth (Hurd) Morris have not been located in 1840.[26] Based on their 1850 census, the children of George and Elizabeth (Hurd) Morris were:

1. Nancy Ann MORRIS. Born on 21 Sep 1829 in Adams Co OH. Nancy Ann died in Bethany, Harrison Co MO, on 27 Aug 1891. She was living in Mason Co IL as early as 1850. On 15 Dec 1852, she married John ARMSTRONG Jr, son of John ARMSTRONG Sr & Mary BARRON, in Mason Co IL. Born on 31 Dec 1819 in Livingston Co NY. John died in Bethany, Harrison Co MO, on 22 Jan 1890. They had the following children:

i.Sarah A (1853-1950)

ii.William F (1854-1941)

iii.John Franklin (1856-1942)

iv.Kittie B (1857-1942)

v.Alice M (1860-1952)

vi.Jennie E (1862-1885)

vii.Charles L (1863-1931)

viii.Ulysses Grant (1865-1963)

ix.George Henry (1866-1950)

x.Frederick D (1869-1940)

xi.Aaron Christopher (1870-1942)

xii.Lillie Mae (1872-1937)

2. Jane MORRIS. Born in 1831 in KY.

3. William MORRIS. Born in 1833 in KY. He possibly stayed in Adams Co OH, cf 1860 Wm Morris, 27 OH, with Elizabeth, 26 KY, Lucinda Lewis, 10 KY, Lassie[?], 4 KY, Rebecca, 1 OH. He was not William Riley Morris who lived in Mason Co IL with his family.

4. Julia Ann MORRIS. Born in 1834 in KY. She might have been Julia A Kirker, 26, Mrs Diah B Kirker, Adams Co OH, 1860 and 1870. Julia and Dyer B Kirker were in Brown Co OH in 1880, where she gave birthplaces OH, VA, KY. This lady died before the 1900 census when her husband was called a widower. There were other Julias and Julia A’s in Adams Co in 1850, but only Julia Ann Morris born between 1831 and 1838.

5. David MORRIS. Born in 1835 in OH. On 29 May 1856, he first married Sarah Jane ELLIOTT in Mason Co IL. About 1858, he second married Cynthia A –?– in Mason Co IL In 1900 they were living in Peoria Co IL. They had eight children, of whom one is known:

i.Henry M (ca1859-)

6. Rose Ann MORRIS. Born in 1839 in OH. On 27 Dec 1860, she married David W BEEKMAN in Mason Co IL. They had 12 children, five of whom were living in 1900, including:

i.Charles H (1862-)

ii.Hester A (1864-)

iii.Alice (1871-)

iv.Emma (1873-)

v.Rosa (1879-)

7. Charles MORRIS. Born in 1841 in OH. He is probably this man: 1870 Quiver Twp, Mason Co IL: Charles, 27 OH, Cynthia, 28 IL, Charlie, 3/12 IL. 1880 Mason Co IL: parents both born KY. 1900 unaccountably says he was born ca 1837 KY, but his parents in Belgium and Germany, married to Cynthia.

i.George E. Born in 1869.

ii.John M. Born in 1872.

iii.Mary G. Born in 1875.

8. Martin V MORRIS. Born in 1843 in OH. Martin V died in Mason Co IL, on 5 Aug 1905. On 31 Mar 1864 when Martin was 21, he first married Mary E RAKESTRAW in Mason Co IL. Born in 1847 in IL. About 1885 when Martin was 42, he second married Hannah –?– in prob Mason Co IL. Born ca 1852. Martin third married Rebecca –?–. Rebecca died on 15 Oct 1907 in Mason Co IL.

9. Margaret MORRIS. Born on 5 Mar 1845 in OH. Margaret died in Mason Co IL, on 12 Aug 1912. On 26 Feb 1865, she married Henry KENT in Mason Co IL. Born on 5 Mar 1838. Henry died on 11 Mar 1907.

10. Mary Eliza MORRIS. Born in 1847 in OH. Mary Eliza died in Mason Co IL, on 18 Sep 1917. Buried in Laurel Hill Mason Co IL. On 1 May 1864, she married John H HIGH in Mason Co IL. Born in 1837. John H died in Mason Co IL, on 9 Oct 1915. One known child was:

i.Marion S. Born in 1866.

ii.Freeman. Born in 1870.

iii.Ella. Born on 12 Dec 1871 in Mason Co IL.

iv.John. Born in 1873.

v.Nathan. Born in 1875.

vi.Fannie. Born in 1877.

11. John MORRIS. Born in 1849 in OH.

12. Harriet MORRIS. Born in 1851 in OH. On 3 Oct 1872 when Harriet was 21, she married George HIBBETS in Mason Co IL. George was living in Mason Co IL in 1870 with a four-year-old son, William. After George’s death ca 1880, Harriet married Thomas SEAY. They had five children, and William Hibbets continued to live with his stepmother. In 1900 and 1930 she said she was born in KY, and in 1930 she said her father was born in Ireland.

A Brown Co OH researcher’s reply to my request for more information: “The marriage record that you requested is: George Morris to Elizabeth Herd on 3 Sept 1827, by Thomas Shelton JP. in Aberdeen, Huntington Twp. Brown Co Ohio. I doubt if you will ever be able to get a copy of the orginal document, the marriage was preformed by “Squire Thomas Shelton” JP kept his own records, and very few of them were ever recorded at the courthouse in Georgetown, Ohio. Aberdeen was known as the “Greta Green” of Brown County. The Squire didn’t require the couples to show proof of their ages, and quite a few young couples ran away to be married by him. A list of some of the marriages that he preformed as been compiled from other sources, but it seems that the old Squire’s records have been lost over the years.” Charlene Smitson

[5]Since no record of Caleb and Martha’s marriage has been found, it is possible Elizabeth was a daughter of a first marriage of Caleb’s.

[6]A Reprint of the Original 1888 History of Harrison and Mercer Counties, Missouri (1888; reprint, Princeton MO: Mercer County Historical Society, Inc., 1972), 604-605. John Armstrong “was born Dec. 31, 1819 in Livingston Co NJ [sic] and moved to Fulton Co IL in 1838 and from there came to Harrison Co MO in 1860. A year later he returned to IL, but in 1866 settled upon his present farm in Harrison Co MO. This farm contains 260 acres of well improved land, which is the result of Mr. Armstrong’s own labor, as he started in life a poor man. In 1852 [sic] he married Miss Susannah Moran, a native of Baltimore Co MD, by whom three children were born, Mary M., wife of James Dilts; Margery Ann, wife of S. S. Parsons; and Susannah, wife of Percy Prune [sic]. Mrs. Armstrong died June 1, 1851, and Mr. Armstrong was married December 15, 1852 to Miss Morris,1a native of Adams Co OH and daughter of George and Elizabeth (Hurd) Morris, by whom 12 children have been born. Mr. Armstrong is a Republican and has served both as assessor and register. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.”

It was a coincidence unique in my family’s genealogical pursuits that, after searching for Nancy’s parentage for years, I found the death certificate and my aunt, Ramona Duff, found the county history on the very same day in 1987.

[20]Published on the Rockcastle Co KY genweb site is a list of “Revolutionary War Soldiers who lived near Rockcastle in 1840,” excerpted from “History of Kentucky” by Judge Lewis Collins, Vol. 1. “As Judge Lewis Collins said, ‘It is evident from their age, (some) were too young to be in the Revolutionary war, except as drummers or wagon-boys; while a few others were probably in the Indian Wars soon after the Revolution.’ Some names are of their widows who are receiving pensions. There were also veterans who refused a pension.” Included on the list was Thomas Morris 80, a resident of Madison Co KY.

Some of the Morrises you mention are from [the family of] John Morris[, born] 1737, possibly Wales.
Mary Morris married Jesse Lucas-Mary is John’s daughter.
The info on Mary and Jesse’s marrriage bond shows John Morris ([her] brother probably b 1768, Tom Morris (possibly Mary’s cousin and bondsman James Morris (possibly b 1762).
Mary and Jesse Lucas are signers on Richard Morris[‘s] 1766 will (this is Mary’s brother Richard).
John (1738)’s son James Morris (1762 MD) had children including Henry Morris, born 1801, married Christina Crawford.
John Morris (1737/38)’s brother Richard Morris, born abt 1722/25, married Rebecca Flint.
Richard had sons Morris Morris (1761) and a son Thomas Morris, born 1751. We know little about Thomas Morris (1751), but Richard (1725) is the only one that had the name Thomas in his children.
Another family living in Mason County was the family of James Morris (1716 Scotland); his son David Morris married Mary Shotwell. These children would be others you should explore.

Have you come across information about the Benjamin Cole family in Mason Co, Kentucky? Please contact me if you have seen a link to the Morris family, prior to 1820 and a link to the move to Illinois by Morris and Cole families.

there is a “Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society”- the article is called Asa Morris, wooodbridge nj. It mentions a George Morris of Woodbridge NJ, who died 1730, son of George Morris who died 1688. I think George of woodbridge may have had sons John, Benjamin and George
Some other names from this area wound up in Kentucky -

There is a Geo Morris in Adams, Washington, Ohio
in the 1840 census
I found him by accident on ancestry 1840 census
Dont know whether yours could have been in washington county but written Geo could be reason you couldnt find him?